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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
Ugh. I gave it my best effort. A long time ago a good friend told me this book was her all-time favorite, which sparked my interest. I made it to the halfway point and that was no mean feat. I thought I would just scan the rest of the book just so I could finish, but that was just as painful. Boring, boring, boring. And Henderson was uninteresting as well.
“Henderson the rain king” by Saul Bellow is hilarious and strong on the human condition. Not every page begged to be turned, but a satisfying read from start to end.
funny
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“The pursuit of sanity can be a form of madness, too.”
Henderson the Rain King is a novel satirizing a man’s quest for life’s meaning. Essentially it’s a comic misadventure in which an aging man visits Africa and meets a king who offers him a remedy: become a lion. Bellow’s prose balances erudition and humor better than probably any other writer I’ve read; he writes some very funny characters. As far as theme, I can acknowledge that Bellow and I share an interest in the hovering cloud of mortality, but I’m more fascinated by the psychological effects of morbidity and the inner turmoil of reconciling limited time and the certainty of death. Bellow touches upon this idea, and sets up a framework for this to be possibly discussed, but ultimately gives attention to Henderson’s spiritual transformation.
Bellow uses a lot of space in the novel to discuss Henderson’s background and key events in his life. Henderson never interacts with characters from these memories, but they’re often referenced again at the perfect moment. I enjoyed Henderson’s bromance with King Dahfu and, as an ESL teacher, had fun reading their interactions. Henderson comically speaks to some of the African characters without any consideration of their knowledge of English, so they often confusedly receive rambling, convoluted monologues with hyperspecific references to American or Jewish culture as his interlocutors. There’s a distinct irony in how these interactions are meaningful to Henderson, yet are so simultaneously rife with misunderstandings, exemplifying Henderson’s misguided quest. This comical absurdist approach may reflect many of our lives at large: a series of self-centered interactions in pursuit of some unclear goal that never fully concludes.
Henderson the Rain King is a novel satirizing a man’s quest for life’s meaning. Essentially it’s a comic misadventure in which an aging man visits Africa and meets a king who offers him a remedy: become a lion. Bellow’s prose balances erudition and humor better than probably any other writer I’ve read; he writes some very funny characters. As far as theme, I can acknowledge that Bellow and I share an interest in the hovering cloud of mortality, but I’m more fascinated by the psychological effects of morbidity and the inner turmoil of reconciling limited time and the certainty of death. Bellow touches upon this idea, and sets up a framework for this to be possibly discussed, but ultimately gives attention to Henderson’s spiritual transformation.
Bellow uses a lot of space in the novel to discuss Henderson’s background and key events in his life. Henderson never interacts with characters from these memories, but they’re often referenced again at the perfect moment. I enjoyed Henderson’s bromance with King Dahfu and, as an ESL teacher, had fun reading their interactions. Henderson comically speaks to some of the African characters without any consideration of their knowledge of English, so they often confusedly receive rambling, convoluted monologues with hyperspecific references to American or Jewish culture as his interlocutors. There’s a distinct irony in how these interactions are meaningful to Henderson, yet are so simultaneously rife with misunderstandings, exemplifying Henderson’s misguided quest. This comical absurdist approach may reflect many of our lives at large: a series of self-centered interactions in pursuit of some unclear goal that never fully concludes.
Eurgh. Well, at least it was less awful than Humboldt's Gift. Another dreadful protagonist, another uninteresting mid life crisis. Eurgh. Do I have to read anymore Bellow?
Well, there seems to be some inherent problems with using a fetishized version of Africa as a mere backdrop for some obnoxious rich white guy’s mid-life crisis/journey of self discovery. (I noted from a quick Wikipedia search that Henderson the Rain King came out a year AFTER Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart; if you’ve read that great work of African realism, you may find it impossible, like me, to invest yourself in whatever Bellow is trying to do here with his depiction of Africa.) But perhaps the bigger issue for me was that I just found the book so tedious and boring. Muddled philosophy and minimal forward plot development made for some kinda brutal stretches of reading, even in a relatively short book.
adventurous
challenging
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An entertaining romp through a fictional Africa. I read a different book by Bellow that was a bit above my intellect. This work is more accessible and is a better introduction to his work. I could compare the humor to Richard Russo. Bellow's work doesn't show up on many lists these days, which is unfortunate, because his writing is sound.
The story is adventurous and engaging, written in first-person, that will have you wondering until the final chapters how it will all wrap up.
The story is adventurous and engaging, written in first-person, that will have you wondering until the final chapters how it will all wrap up.
I found Henderson reminded me of a tolerable version Ignatius from A Confederacy of Dunces (Henderson even dons a hunting hat indoors at one point). In my opinion, Henderson is Ignatius with some motivation, or, to keep in the spirit of the book, grun-tu-molani. While I despised Ignatius to the core of my being, so much that, 3 years after reading, I remember nothing of the story except my piercing hatred of Ignatius, I appreciated Henderson for his determined quest to understand life. His noble intention made me root for him despite his continual short-sightedness (exemplified well by his failure to realize he would blow the water out of the Arnewi's basin along with the frogs) and abrasive demeanor. I was rooting for him to find the meaning he searched for and calm the voice that said "I want, I want."
really should be 3.5, Good Reads needs to bring back the half stars